New LED ceiling lights transmit data using visible light

We all know that light is an efficient way to transfer data. Just take a look at the incredible amounts of data we can push around with fiber optics and devices like Blu-ray players and recorders. One company, though, is trying to combine the energy efficiency of LEDs but also use their light as a way to transfer information wirelessly without using radio waves.

The company is called LVX, and recently they installed their first ceiling based optical communication systems in government offices located in St. Cloud, Minnesota. These lighting systems use special LED lights that have the capability of transferring data by oscillating their luminescence. Special modems attached to computers below the lights can pick up this light data, much like computers now pick up Wi-Fi using wireless network devices. But don’t expect offices to be lit up like raves. The oscillation of light is so fast that the human eye can’t register the modulation of data.

Current LVX lighting communication systems can transfer data at a rate of 3Mbs per second, comparable to a residential DSL circuit. In addition, the LVX can also offer savings with smart technology that could adjust lighting levels for room occupancy. So not only are these LED lights intelligent, but they are also efficient.